JAKARTA – Eleven youth representatives from ASEAN and Timor Leste have been selected as the first cohort of the Youth Sounding Board for EU in ASEAN (YSBEA).
YSBEA is an initiative aimed at boosting young people’s engagement in EU-ASEAN cooperation, while acting as an advisory group to the EU Delegation to ASEAN.
Representatives of the Youth Sounding Board — chosen from a pool of over 400 applicants — will engage in a series of consultations with the EU Delegation on youth-related policies and international partnerships, focusing on political priorities such as climate change and human development.
“The selection of YSBEA members is an acknowledgement of their outstanding leadership qualities and impressive achievements,” Sujiro Seam, the EU’s ambassador to ASEAN, said on Monday.
“YSBEA will provide a consultative space and platform for young people to strengthen the European Union’s strategic partnership with ASEAN… making the actions of the European Union more relevant and effective for young people.”
Norfatina Md Afandi, 24, was chosen as the YSBEA representative from Brunei Darussalam for the 2024-2025 term.
A sociology and anthropology graduate, Norfatina’s focus will be on advancing gender equality by addressing existing policy and cultural barriers in the ASEAN region.
“Joining YSBEA allows me to connect with like-minded individuals and gain valuable insights, which could contribute to the future development of women’s empowerment in Brunei,” she said.
Following the inauguration ceremony, YSBEA members had the opportunity to pay a courtesy call to Nararya S. Soeprapto, the deputy secretary-general of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs.
DSG Nararya highlighted the pivotal role of youth in reaching the region’s development goals, noting that ASEAN youth accounted for approximately 34% of the population in 2020.
He added that the bloc sees the crucial role youth will play in ASEAN’s Post-2025 Vision, and that leaders want to empower young people to actively shape the region’s future.
The 11 YSBEA representatives are young activists from varied fields that include environment and climate change; education; science and technology; human rights; gender; entrepreneurship; and health.
The YSBEA is one of 30 Youth Sounding Board groups worldwide, established as part of the Youth Action Plan (YAP) for EU external action.
The YAP serves as the EU’s guiding framework to promote meaningful youth participation and empowerment for sustainable development, equality and peace.